IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/inecol/v4y2000i4p13-29.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The IPAT Equation and Its Variants

Author

Listed:
  • Marian R. Chertow

Abstract

In the early 1970s Ehrlich and Holdren devised a simple equation in dialogue with Commoner identifying three factors that created environmental impact. Thus, impact (I) was expressed as the product of (1) population, (P); (2) affluence, (A); and (3) technology, (T). This article tracks the various forms the IPAT equation has taken over 30 years as a means of examining an underlying shift among many environmentalists toward a more accepting view of the role technology can play in sustainable development. Although the IPAT equation was once used to determine which single variable was the most damaging to the environment, an industrial ecology view reverses this usage, recognizing that increases in population and affluence can, in many cases, be balanced by improvements to the environment offered by technological systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Marian R. Chertow, 2000. "The IPAT Equation and Its Variants," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 4(4), pages 13-29, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:4:y:2000:i:4:p:13-29
    DOI: 10.1162/10881980052541927
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1162/10881980052541927
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1162/10881980052541927?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:4:y:2000:i:4:p:13-29. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1088-1980 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.